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Biggles' Paperchase
Biggles' Paperchase is a short story which was first published in The Modern Boy Issue 361, 5th January 1935. The story was subsequently gathered and published in 1935 in the anthology Biggles in France where it spanned chapters 18 and 19 and were titled A Sporting Offer! and Getting a Gramophone. The story was republished in Biggles of 266 where it appeared as the 3rd chapter under the title The Prize. It reappeared in the Red Fox Biggles in France and the 2009 Norman Wright edition. Both of these versions retained the chapter division and titles of the 1935 edition. In the Modern Boy sequence, this story is preceded by Biggles Carves the Turkey and followed by Biggles' Flying Wardrobe. Synopsis Major Raymond offers a gramophone as a prize for the squadron which can drop propaganda leaflets furthest behind enemy lines. Naturally, Wilks and Biggles are out to defend the honour of their squadron and their respective aircraft types. Plot (may contain spoilers - click on expand to read) 266 Sqn has been assigned to drop propaganda leaflets, as has Wilks' 287 Squadron. To liven things up, Major Raymond offers the prize of a gramophone to the squadron whose pilot, over the next two days, can drop leaflets furthest to the east, behind German lines. On hearing that Wilks has dropped some leaflets over Lille, Biggles declares that he is going to Tournai, some 30 miles behind the lines, but this is easier said than done. Coming back from Tournai, Biggles is bounced by a large formation of Albatros fighters. Biggles escapes by pretending to be damaged and making a forced landing. is supposed Albatros victor also lands to take a look at his "victim", whereupon Biggles throttles up and takes off again. Coming back to Maranique, he is chagrined to learn that Wilks has gone to Gontrude, some 12 miles further east than Tournai--so he has gone to all the trouble for nothing. Biggles takes Algy aside and tells him they can't just beat Wilks by going another five miles, and another five miles and so on. They have to perform "such a whizzer that Wilks will never suspect it", and for that he will need Algy's help. The last day comes, and the pilots of both squadrons gather at Maranique to witness the "finals" as it were. Wilks returns, amazing everyone by having gone to Mons, almost fifty miles behind the lines. Everyone is sure he has won. Meanwhile, Biggles is coming back from his target. To avoid enemy interference, he is flying at treetop height, so low that some enemy aircraft avoid him, thinking it is too dangerous to try to engage or pursue. But this at the same time, exposes him to ground fire. Biggles finally reaches Maranique with his aircraft quite damaged and fifteen minutes to go. He shows Raymond his photograph: he has gone all the way to Brussels! It turns out that Algy had accompanied Biggles almost forty miles behind the lines. Algy had brought along eight spare tins of petrol. They had both landed and Biggles refuelled and carried on while Algy returned. Wilks thinks it is unfair but Raymond rules that there was no stipulation against refuelling and so awards the gramophone to Biggles. Characters *Biggles *Captain Mahoney *Captain MacLaren *Algy Lacey *Wat Tyler *Wilks *Flight Sergeant Smyth *Major Raymond *Major Mullen *Brigadier-General Tishlace *Billy Bradley Aircraft *Sopwith Camel *S.E.5 *Albatros *Fokker Dr.I *Airco D.H.4 Places Visited *Maranique *Tournai *Brussels Mentioned *Lille *Gontrude *Mons Editorial Changes Other Research Notes *This stories supplies many actual place names and distances to help plot the probable location of Maranique. *Other R.F.C. Units mentioned: Mahoney was formerly with 96 Squadron. References to the past Incongruities Chronology (see also table at Timeline of the Biggles Stories) *From a chronology point of view, this story is from the second block of Modern Boy stories which went into Biggles in France. This block was published about 4 months after the first block. In contrast to the first block, the second block appears to be set later during the war. Biggles is obviously a flight commander, and a captain and Algy Lacey has joined the squadron. *Although published after Biggles Carves the Turkey, some researchers place this story earlier,Ward Powers. "What Happened to Biggles in WW1?" ''Biggles Flies Again'' Vol. 3 No. 1, June 2009. in late Autumn of 1917. For one thing, there is no mention of winter weather. There's a "rolling landscape of green fields" and "field labourers flang themselves flat" as Biggles flew over them. *Raymond is still a major. Although Johns is not very consistent about his rank, a common approach among researchers is to assume he was promoted to Colonel after Biggles Flies East. It is probably for this reason that it is placed earlier than The Turkey when Biggles of 266 was being compiled. Publication History *''The Modern Boy'', Issue 361, 4th January 1935 *''Biggles in France'', Boy's Friend Library No. 501 7th November 1935 (as two chapters: A Sporting Offer! and Getting a Gramophone) *''Biggles of 266'', 1956 (as chapter 4 The Prize) *''Biggles in France'', Red Fox, 1993 and subsequent reprints *''Biggles in France'', Norman Wright, 2009 References External Links Category:Short stories Category:Biggles short stories Category:World War One era short stories